Lazy Day Breakfasts For Holiday Mornings

IN THE KITCHEN

On Christmas morning, does your family get up at the crack of dawn? If so, there is probably no time for breakfast before breaking into the gifts.

Here are a few ideas for lazy holiday breakfasts, simple, but filling enough to tide tummies over until Christmas dinner.

Shirred Eggs Mongole

2 cans split pea with ham soup

1 cup tomato juice

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons chopped onion

4 teaspoons lemon juice

Dried dill weed

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper

16 eggs

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Using a large baking pan, or the broiler pan from the oven, melt the butter in the pan on top of the stove.

Over low heat, stir in the undiluted pea soup, tomato juice, cream, onion and lemon juice. The sauce should be on the thick side, but can be thinned with more cream if necessary. When warm, season to taste with dried dill, salt and pepper.

Remove pan from heat. Carefully break in the eggs. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until the eggs are set.

Sauté the onion and potatoes in butter until the potatoes are lightly browned. Cover and cook 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost tender. Stir in the ham. Beat the eggs with salt. Pour eggs over potato mixture. Cook over low heat, as an omelette, occasionally slipping spatula under the potatoes and ham to let the uncooked egg flow to the bottom. When the eggs are set, sprinkle with cheese. Cover the pan until the cheese is melted, about a minute or so.

French Toast

12 slices bread, 1/2 inch thick

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

Beat the eggs, add the milk and salt. Dip slices of bread into the mixture and sauté in a little hot melted butter or oil until delicate brown on both sides. Serve hot. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or serve with maple syrup.

Bread Pudding

2 cups stale bread cubes

1 quart milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

2 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Soak the bread in the milk until it is very soft, then mash it fine. Heat together until nearly boiling. Beat the eggs until light and add the sugar, salt and vanilla to them. When well mixed, stir this into the bread and milk, pour the whole mixture into an earthenware baking dish, set in a pan of water, and bake in a slow oven, set between 250 and 350 degrees. Pudding is done when top is lightly browned.

To make chocolate bread pudding, melt two squares of chocolate over hot water and add the melted chocolate to the soaked bread and milk, then proceed as directed above.

Potato Fritters

3 medium potatoes

1 medium onion

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

Black pepper, to taste

1/2 to 1 cup baking mix (depends on how moist potatoes are)

Peanut oil to half-fill a large skillet

Maple syrup

Sour cream

Grate potatoes and onion into a glass or pottery bowl. Beat in the egg, salt and pepper. Add enough baking mix to make a thick batter. In a large skillet, heat oil. When the oil is smoking, drop the batter in by spoonful. Press down with the back of a wooden spoon to flatten each fritter slightly. Fritters are done when they are browned and rise to the top. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with maple syrup and sour cream. Or keep warm in a low oven.